On Christmas Eve 1818 the carol "Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht" was heard for the first time in a village church in Oberndorf, Austria. Assistant priest Joseph Mohr handed over to the organist Franz Gruber a poem, with the request to write a fitting melody for 2 solo voices together with choir and accompaniment by guitar. Later that same day, on the 24th of December, Gruber came to Mohr and handed him his composition and the song was included in the Christmas Mass that evening. The beautiful Carol that we know as Silent Night was met with general approval by all in attendance. "Silent Night, holy night, Son of God, love's pure light". This well-known carol is another must have song to use for your Christmas Eve or Christmas Service. Be sure to check out our43 different arrangements available for download.

Steve Burdine doesn't often get much "air-time" but it is time you hear about him! Steve is our tech guy extraordinare, he works tirelessly behind the scenes to keep the site running. Casting Crown's I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day is Steve's pick for his most loved song of the year. Check out the live performance video of this amazing song.

Describing the members of CCM powerhouse Casting Crowns as “heroes of faith” feels like an understatement. The band has produced mega-hits like “Praise You In This Storm,” “East to West,” “Who Am I,” and “Just Be Held,” broken sales records, sold out arenas, won prestigious awards and traveled the world singing songs of redemption. There’s not much within the realm of Christian music the band hasn’t accomplished. The impact of Casting Crowns is incalculable, the fingerprint of their songs forever imprinted onto the hearts of millions of people.

But for Mark Hall, lead singer and primary songwriter, describing the band’s trajectory as any sort of heroic effort is entirely wrong. When discussing the band’s latest project, Only Jesus, Hall takes great pains to shift the focus off of the band, off of himself, and solely onto the one they sing about. Only Jesus personifies the band’s mission to help people understand the nature of God’s love and Jesus’s sacrifice, digging deep into the who and the why, inviting the listener on a heart-journey of foundational faith, immovable trust and ultimately, freedom in Christ. “I want people to see that God is the author and the finisher of our faith,” Hall shares. “He starts the work and He finishes the work. If we could just rest in the fact that He saved us, that He’s got us, we can rest in what He’s doing now and strive for what’s ahead.” It’s a timeless message, and one that’s still changing lives today. For Casting Crowns, there’s one thing they hope people will take away after listening to the new album —only Jesus.